Whether a big or small fire occurred in your home, it is an overwhelming and terrifying thing to experience. Hence, when you are looking to rebuild your house to its former look, you might want to learn how fire restoration companies work and what processes entail.
The main objectives of these companies are to rebuild a house and property around it as it once was, and the providers will also want to make sure that the area is secure for accessing. If the cleaning process is not done properly, additional damages can occur. Also, if the smoke and soot are not cleaned properly, it could lead to a wide range of health conditions, especially for younger children and pets. In the text below, you will learn what these processes entail, and some other important details that you should learn. Let’s take a closer look:
Things to do Before Anything Else
Call Your Insurance Agent
After the firefighters put out the fire and once you have found alternative accommodation for your family, the very first item on your to-do list should be contacting your chosen insurance firm. They will send a representative and together with them, you will assess any and all damages done to the interior and exterior of your house. Walk with them and take notes on what you totally lost, the repairs that need to be done, what items you can salvage from the wreck, and how many areas the fire affected. They might also tell you to make a list of all things damaged or lost, and they might ask you to contact a professional fire renovation business that will help you with assessing, repairing, and renovating your house.
The Overall Property Assessment
Once the fire department finished their job and once they have deemed your house safe to enter, one of the first things you will want to do is to evaluate how much smoke and fire damage your home sustained. The things you will need to look at include checking how deep the flame penetrated the structure of the building, how much smoke covered the surfaces of the walls and floors, as well as if there are any items that show signs of damage. Now, it might be complicated for you to determine all of these things – and this is where a professional cleaning company comes in.
The experts from these companies will be able to complete the assessment of your house. Keep in mind that everything should be recorded, written down, and photographed for the insurance company. Also, all the furniture that can be salvaged should be removed as soon as possible since the smoke could get into the materials. If you want to see what other services you can get from these companies, click here.
Opt for Professionals Only
Before you choose a company for cleaning up your damaged home, make sure that you do some research on the options you have and also consult your insurance company. Always check the previous experiences people had and the history of the work done by the business you are looking at.
The Restorations Steps
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Ensuring that the Foundation is Secure
The first thing any restoration company will do is to prevent any additional damages from happening. This will require them to fill in any holes or repair any weakened structure. If any of your walls, floors, or roof got singed by the flames, they should be inspected, repaired, or replaced. As the Fire Restoration Toronto states, you should remember that fire and water repairs go together.
2. Eliminating Smoke Damage and the Smell
It is incredibly difficult and somewhat impossible to clean out the smoke, smell, and soot produced in a fire all by yourself – and the stains that occurred can only be dealt with by an extensive scrub, sanding, and refreshing. If your house sustained water damage too, the experts will have to pump out the water and air out the area to prevent mold from forming. The smell left means that you will need to take all the carpets/furniture/upholstery in your home to a professional cleaner. If something is relatively cheap to replace, consider throwing the item away instead of trying to save it – which can end up costing more money.
3. The Repairs
For the things that cannot be replaced – such as antiques – restoration could be necessary. Start with scarping and repainting walls which will probably have bubbles and blister caused by heat. If any of your wooden furniture is ruined, you will only have two options when it comes to repairing them. The first thing you could try is to add a layer of sealant on damaged, unfurnished wood, and finished wood would be better off it fully restored. However, it is always better to opt for a professional furniture restoration than to try to repair it by yourself.
4. The Renovation
Although you will be worried about everything, try to look at the unfortunate event like something that will allow you to renovate your home and start again. If the damages are extensive, you can simply start over and start building your home again. In a way, the renovation can be a new beginning, and it will allow you to think about other things. Again, most of the renovation businesses will offer to clean up, repair, and restore your home, so you will be there to oversee the things they do.
5. Ensure That You Learn About How to Prevent Future Mishaps
Once you have finished with repairing your home, you can find a company that will teach you how to prevent future fires, as well as what to do if it occurs again. They can also provide you with some design advice for furnishing your home or advise you on the best smoke detectors you can get for your kitchen.
You need a service that is always ready, thoroughly trained and completely reliable. With today’s regulations and ordinances, you need the expertise of a network of Fire Officers and Fire Watch Guards.
Conclusion
The steps you should take when restoring your property after a fire is a complex one, however, if you hire a professional company, you will ensure that your home is safe and healthy to live in. Hence, now that you know everything there is about this process, do not waste any more time and start searching for an expert that will help you restore your home to its previous condition.
